For the last few days, Jasmine has been peeing in the house. I could have understood a “stealth” pee if I had neglected to take her outside in a timely fashion. She has been squatting in full view of me at very odd times–mainly when I’ve been busy with household chores and not paying full attention to her. However, I was sitting on the couch the other day, and she started going on the carpet about 6 feet in front of me. I tried to stop her and admonished her, but instead of cutting her off, she started moving away, leaving a nice little trail behind her. I quickly got her to go outside, but by then, she was bone dry. She did this for three days in a row, but has since ceased.

I wonder if she was showing some of her unhappiness at my recent absences or if she just doesn’t understand that it’s not acceptable to go inside. When I ask her to go outside, she happily runs outside and does her “business.” However, she’s never provided us with any cues to her needing to go outside. She doesn’t bark. She only whines when she wants me up in the morning or if I’m in the shower and she wants my attention.

I’m not sure what spurred this recent round of broken house-training, but I’m hoping that she’s over whatever caused it and we can continue to have a relatively pee-free house.

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Oh, it feels so good to be home after all this travel and work. Jasmine agrees.

My husband brought her to the airport when he picked me up. He pulled up to the curb, and as I was walking towards the trunk, little Jasmine spotted me from her fluffy pillow in the back seat. Her ears perked up, and she started to cry. I got in the car, and she jumped up and down and cried again. When we got home, she was jumping around me and wagging her tail for joy. It was such a wonderful welcome home.

Yesterday, she followed me everywhere and did not let me out of her sight. Well, she generally does follow me wherever I go, but this was different. She also slept like she hadn’t slept in a week. She went for a walk with me without a struggle, and she merrily ate all her food. She even knocked on the shower door, itching for attention and a connection. Today, she impatiently woke me at 6:30 a.m. and happily ate her breakfast with me. How much joy a little doggie face can bring astounds me.

My husband says that she just tolerates him…that she’s MY dog. I think she wants to be friends with him, but whatever happened to her in the past keeps getting in the way. She goes near him because she knows he wants to give her love and treats, but the wariness she has for him (and all men) is daunting. However, she had made progress with him. She comes to him (when they are alone together) for pets and treats. She allows him to take her out for walks and potty breaks. Two months ago, that wasn’t the case. While I see forward progress, my husband is a bit frustrated that she’s still skittish around him. I’m not sure she will ever be 100% comfortable around any man, but I believe that their time alone together has strengthened their bond.

The next separation will be during our annual vacation. Jasmine will be spending time with our friends again. This time, she’ll be in a somewhat familiar home, cohabiting once again with another family–our friends, their two kids, the family dog and two cats. Another chance for her to socialize and learn that love comes in many forms. Once again, I’ll miss her terribly…

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After a long weekend home, I’m back on the road, once again leaving Jasmine in my husband’s capable hands.

Jasmine is resisting again. She didn’t eat dinner last night. However, she did allow my husband to sit with her as she stared at her food. 🙂 She is a stubborn one, that cutie!

I think these trips will ultimately be good for her. She needs to learn to accept my husband as a leader and as someone who will provide her with the love and comfort that I do.

At very least, she didn’t freak out like she did the first night I was gone. She understands the “mom’s gone” routine already. She’s just a bit…resistant to the idea.

The dog sitter will be by towards the end of the week to take her on walkies. That will be another “new” experience for her. It’s all good.

However, I miss her terribly. No cute little face to greet me in the morning….I hate being away from them both.

On a totally unrelated note, during my outbound trip yesterday, my plane was evacuated due to a small girl claiming she was “bitten” by, of all things, a scorpion. Was she rushed to a medical center for treatment? No. Were we delayed by hours due to her outlandish tale of a crazed insect? Yes. We had to get a whole new plane. Thanks kid. Boy, traveling is so fun..,

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I have been out of town for the last week on business. Jasmine had a lot of adjustments to make–she was home alone with my husband all week.

For the first 2 1/2 days, Jasmine wouldn’t eat. She shunned the food that my husband left for her, and she cowered and ran away from him. She even hid from him when it was time for bed–so well, in fact, that my husband couldn’t find her one night. He finally spotted her hiding place the next night–behind the living room curtains! Smart doggie! 🙂

I was worried about how she would do while I was gone. This was my first trip away with my husband home taking care of her. I was really hoping that the two of them would bond and get used to one another. Well, I’m happy to report that Jasmine will now eat when he’s in the room, she comes up to him for pets, and she looks at him expectantly for treats. She still hid from him this morning when he went to take her out, but we’ve taken a giant step towards a relationship between the two. I’m back on the road on Tuesday, so I’m hoping that they will continue to bond and build a lasting friendship. I can tell they both want it!

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This weekend, Jasmine started limping. We had the dog sitter come by on Saturday to get further acquainted and to get Jasmine walking with her. We went for a couple of walks, so I thought Jasmine had somehow hurt herself on the walks.

Well, on Monday, she developed an abscess yet again on her left paw. However, this time, she was limping and she wouldn’t let me touch her paw without a struggle. She limped around, and while her abscess popped and began to drain (yeah, icky…I know), she was very protective and somewhat lethargic. I decided to give it a day to see if she would start healing. It wasn’t. Her limp was more pronounced. The abscess was still red and puffy and wasn’t draining. I called the vet, and got an appointment for this morning.

Of course, she was barely limping this morning and the abscess had gone way down. I wanted to have her checked out nonetheless. I’m glad I did. Apparently, she had developed another abscess that I had not seen–this time on the bottom of her paw. Poor baby. So now, I have to soak her paw in an antimicrobial and give her antibiotics twice a day. I’m leaving for a business trip on Friday, so hubby will have to take it on.

I feel bad for Jasmine. Apparently, this type of abscess is common in former puppy mill dogs–it’s known as “puppy mill foot.” This is the only time that the abscesses have bothered her, so I’m keeping a close eye on the infection. Oh, I hate to leave my pup when she’s not right!